


K: Past and Future Kings

by Sarielgrace



Series: K: Displaced King [3]
Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Dimension Travel, F/M, M/M, Past Character Death, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2020-12-09 03:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20988326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarielgrace/pseuds/Sarielgrace
Summary: A reverse scenario of K: Displaced Kings. What if canon K Project finds themselves in the world of K: Displaced Kings?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I was working on this for about 3 months, and this will most likely be either a twoshot or a threeshot.  
Images of SCEPTER 4 Clansmen were made from various picrew.me avatar makers: https://i.imgur.com/1bjkkSg.png

It was the weekly skirmish between <jungle> and the Tea Table Alliance, when a strange silvery light encompassed the entire area of Mihashira Tower, sending all four Clans reeling. Numerous people had appeared after the light blinded everyone, allowing <jungle>’s Clansmen to escape captivity.

Munakata Aneko, the current Blue King and Captain of SCEPTER 4 covered her eyes, the light so bright there were spots in her vision as it seeped through the gaps between her fingers. Shouts of familiar voices filled the space, all of them confused and angry.

“Father, we have a situation,” she called her dad, as her vision returned. The sight of two dozen people she knew looking twenty years younger was definitely a situation, “Get mom too, hell, even Misaki and Hiko-oji.”

“Are you alright, Ko-chan?” her dad asked, and she grunted an affirmative. “We’re coming.”

The youngest King approached one of the people, one Munakata Reishi in particular. “This is Munakata Aneko, Captain of SCEPTER 4 speaking,” she said, her saber swiftly sheathed and knives back in their place, “Identify yourself. Any implications of ill intentions will label you and yours as enemies.”

“Munakata Reishi, Blue King. Captain of SCEPTER 4,” the younger version of her dad replied. He looked wary, hair slightly in disarray. He made a signal to his Clansmen, who then responded by relaxing their battle-ready stances.

“Looks like we need to take you all in,” Aneko looked for her subordinates, calling them out, “SCEPTER 4, regroup. HOMRA, stand down.” She spied Anna approaching, the thirty-six-year-old looking as ethereal as ever. Her aura was still engaged, showing in her eyes before fading.

“Aneko,” the Red King said, her voice light and fearless, “There is a younger version of myself with them. Did you contact your Headquarters and HOMRA?” She glanced at the younger Munakata; who’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, seeing a much older form of the shy HOMRA clansman.

“Yeah. There’s going to be a lot of paperwork, I can feel it,” Aneko sighed, watching Munakata. She cocked her head as she spied a man that looked suspiciously like her mother, and Aneko knew Anna noticed too.

“What the fuck is this shit,” the man groaned, and Aneko glanced at Munakata, silently asking for permission to confront him. He raised an eyebrow but stepped aside. Anna’s hand found its way into her sister’s, Aneko allowing the contact.

The two women made their way to the red-haired man, Aneko’s aura reacting to his. Without a doubt, the man standing before them was the Red King.

“Hm?” the man squinted down at the blue clad woman and her companion, “What do you brats want.”

“I am the Fourth and Blue King of SCEPTER 4, Munakata Aneko,” the Captain didn’t pay any mind to the derisive tone, “And this is my fellow King, the Red King of HOMRA, Kushina Anna. From what I understand, you are a King as well.”

“Anna’s…King?” the man said, almost to himself, his expression shocked before it faded away.

“Captain!” was a shout from behind, Yuuma skateboarding towards Aneko. The man slowed down the closer he got, squinting at the still unnamed man with suspicion. “Who’s he, King?”

“His aura is the same frequency as Mika’s. Without a doubt, they are the same,” Anna had fished a marble out of a pocket in her dress, looking at the man through it with a curious tilt of her head.

“That’s only possible if they’re the same person. Which should be impossible, unless…” Aneko’s sentence trailed off, two realizations coming to her. For one, if her mother was a man, that meant the Munakata Reishi she talked to was from an alternate dimension. Secondly, if her mother was a man, it meant Aneko never existed for them at _all_.

“Wait, so you’re sayin’ this guy could’ve been Mika?!” Yuuma exploded, his twin auras igniting with the implication this…this _asshole_ was a guy version of Munakata Mika. No way, no how!

“Where’s your dads?” Aneko asked, turning to her subordinate. Sasaki Anri was on paternity leave, allowing the youngest Yata to fill in for a few weeks.

“On their way. Man, dad’s going to blow a gasket. Yo, what if there’s a younger version of them too?!” the younger man questioned, only to look past the yet unnamed man. “Father’s in his edgy phase too! Ugh, he looks like Nikki-teme from his picture. Blech.”

“Oi, brat, do you keep talking like that all the time?” younger not-Mika said, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pockets and lighting one with a spark of red aura, “You’re really annoying.”

“I’ll really fucking cut you, not-Mika!” Yuuma fumed, his hand going straight for his saber if Aneko didn’t stop him from drawing. A flick of his other wrist launched a knife into his hand.

“Yuu-kun, you’re an idiot, he’s a King! He’ll cream you!” Aneko rolled her eyes with exasperation. Sometimes, Yuuma did take after his dad in bullheadedness and being an idiot.

“Suoh Mikoto is his name,” Anna said while still looking at him through her marble, “He doesn’t know why he or his HOMRA is here, or his world’s SCEPTER 4. All he knows is they were in their own time before a light blinded them all.” She replaced her marble, then turned partially to the left, wordlessly letting go of Aneko’s hand and walking off.

“That’s not helpful at all!” Yuuma snapped, then skated angrily away.

“Yata Yuuma, you come back here!” his Captain called after him, then facepalmed. “Excuse my subordinate, he’ll use anything for a fight,” she apologized while bowing. “Meanwhile, you and your Clansmen will need somewhere to stay.”

“Is the bar available?” Suoh asked, flicking the charred cigarette to the ground and crushing it.

“There’s a slight prob—” Aneko started, but a loud voice carried over the area, making her pause.

“Ko-chaaaaannnnn!” a feminine voice yelled, and both Kings looked to see Munakata Mika heading towards them, Munakata Reishi not far behind, as well as the man’s younger counterpart. Reishi was walking away from a motorcycle he and Mika were riding on, having deemed it the fastest transportation he could get.

“I can see why you called us,” Aneko’s dad observed, with his daughter’s Clansmen talking to the other world’s SCEPTER 4, “An unprecedented predicament.”

“Father, the situation can be compared to a raging dumpster fire,” Aneko deadpanned, “The alternate SCEPTER 4 can stay at the barracks if they’d like. I don’t know about HOMRA, what do you think?”

“We’ll have to declutter the space above HOMRA,” Mika shrugged, “We could just bur—”

“Mika, we are not risking burning the whole bar down, Izumo would kill us,” Reishi stopped his wife’s train of thought immediately.

“Geeze, Rei-chan, I know how the aura works, I’ve never accidentally committed arson,” scoffed Mika, who poked her counterpart. “I only do it on purpose.”

“What the fuck is this reality,” Mikoto stared flatly at the older woman, “I want to go home where I’m _not_ a girl.” He looked very bored with everything, and he looked like he was itching for another cigarette.

“Hey! I resemble that remark! And just because you’re hot doesn’t mean you can be an asshole. Reishi, come on, I’m going to get him the crappiest bed I can imagine. We’ll get it from a dumpster, his new home,” Mika huffed, the air simmering with red aura before making an about face and storming off.

“I have complete faith you can handle this, Aneko,” Reishi patted his daughter’s shoulder, and followed after her mother, “I’m sure he’s just disoriented. You’d be too if you were in an unfamiliar place!”

“I don’t care, even I wasn’t that much of an asshole when I was his age!” Mika stuck her middle finger up in Mikoto’s direction without looking, “Fucking prick!”

“Suoh, as aggravating as usual, even to yourself,” Munakata quipped, smirking at the other King. He was visibly amused at the friction that sparked between the two, but also curious about his own future self.

“Such a bother. And you as an old man is annoying too,” the other man grunted, “This place is so fucked up.”

“Father’s only forty-nine. At least he didn’t have a midlife crisis. Well, if you don’t count the time he bought the motorcycle without mom knowing,” the oldest King among them shrugged, “I think he misses jumping out of helicopters. Not that it did any good, in the long run.” Aneko could hear some raised voices from behind and turned to see Yata and Saruhiko trading heated words with their younger counterparts. “Excuse me.”

“Saruhiko! Misaki!” the woman yelled, and as expected a fight was breaking out between the two pairs. “Both of you, you’re not children!” She threw knives, pining the younger Misaki’s hat to the ground and deflecting a thrown knife from Fushimi.

“Ko-chan,” Saruhiko addressed her mildly, “These two started the altercation.” Even though he looked unaffected, there was a tenseness in his posture that suggested he was wary of his younger self.

“I’m not blind, _Fushimi_ Saruhiko, but you can’t just attack them. He’s you, dumbass. And by the looks of him, he left HOMRA roughly a year ago, and the wounds are still fresh. Leave the boy alone,” Aneko was resolute, glaring at the older man while his younger counterpart scoffs.

“That name died with my sperm donor and the one who birthed me,” Saruhiko hisses, eyes narrowing, “The Fushimi line was dead the moment I married this idiot.”

“I’m your idiot, stupid Monkey,” Misaki rolled his eyes and jabbed an elbow at his husband’s side. Saruhiko grunted, rolling his eyes, muttering, “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Wait, you’re married to him!?” Yata bursts, looking at his older self like the world had gone mad. When he looked at Aneko, he recoiled, blushing fiercely at the sight of a girl.

“Dad! Father! Look, it’s edgy you!” Yuuma skated nearby, his blue coattails trailing behind him as he circled the group. He grinned, the twenty-year-old stopping next to his dads. “Hi! I’m Yata Yuuma. Nice to meet you, I suppose.” The young man’s face was slightly flushed, sweating slightly in the warm summer day under his coat.

“And I am Munakata Aneko, the Blue King. Please, don’t aggravate either of them or this will get _very_ uncomfortable. I still remember when you were scared of girls, Misaki. I know exactly how to deal with you,” Aneko narrows her eyes at Misaki, who inches back a little under the force of her glare.

“Either way, until this whole mess is sorted out, you five should stick together. Get to know each other better. Meanwhile, I’m trying to not have mom give Suoh a cardboard box to sleep on. I don’t think father has much headway,” the young captain rolled her eyes, then turned to watch Mika arguing with Reishi, ready to intervene.

“Wait, you can’t just _leave_!” Yuuma wailed dramatically, latching onto the woman with an arm, “Those two are my age and they hate each other! You know I can’t deal with this type of environment! I can’t get along with edgy people, they always try to kill me!” He looked comical, tears already pooling in his eyes.

“As I see it, this is a ‘you’ problem and you must learn from it,” Aneko deadpanned before tugging her arm from his grip and walking away, “Whether you like it or not.” As a point, she didn’t turn back when her subordinate started shouting more desperately. She even started to whistle cheerfully as Yuuma further expressed his doom.

“Mom, I don’t think you should get on his bad side,” Aneko crossed her arms at her mother as she approached, “I can feel his aura, and it’s unmistakable. That guy’s a King. The Red King, in fact. Aggravating him isn’t wise.”

“King or no, that doesn’t give him an excuse. That man is an asshole,” spits Mika, and if the woman hadn’t quit smoking, she’d be lighting a cigarette. “Don’t get too close or you’ll get burned.” For emphasis, she summoned her aura, making the area around her shimmer with red.

“I think Aneko’s ice should be stronger than this Mikoto’s fire,” Reishi shared his thoughts in a thinking pose, his chin resting on one of his palms while his other hand supported his elbow, “She _is_ our daughter, after all.”

“Ugh, fine, you’ve made your point, I’ll give him a normal bed and I won’t set whatever’s in the space above HOMRA on fire, happy?” Mika rolled her eyes, a little put out. She was really looking forward to finding the crappiest mattress on the planet. Well, maybe just a mat in a cheap store. If she did find one in a dumpster, she’d be tempted to set it on fire herself.

“Exuberant,” Reishi assured her, even though he didn’t smile. The man’s gaze moved to watch Aneko’s clansmen interact with the younger versions of his own subordinates. The comparison to the men and woman he led for nearly twenty-two years and these…young men and woman was startling. Seeing these familiar faces brought memories of the past back…

“Dad? You okay?” asked Aneko, who noticed the older man space out, “You look kind of out of it.”

“Psh, your dad’s fine. What was the problem with Yata and Saruhiko? Did they get into a fight with those kids?” Mika was looking over at the awkward group, Yuuma looking more distressed than usual. Even so, she could tell the boy…man was really just putting on a show.

That kid really grew up going into SCEPTER 4. He got in less fights with Ko-chan when they were on the same team. Pity Yuu-kun didn’t stick with HOMRA. The current Vanguard was kinda…awkward interacting with the senior members. Asari Fujisuke was instated the other year, but still tensed when in front of his superiors in the bar.

“I think Fushimi-san made a stupid comment and Misaki being who he is started it. I stopped the whole thing, though,” the King shrugged.

The trio was approached by Anna and her smaller counterpart, Anna holding the younger girl’s hand. “Should we bring Reishi and Mikoto to our house?” the Red King asked as if everything was normal.

“It’s very hot.” Kushina looked slightly uncomfortable in a dress meant for colder fall days. Her pale skin was already turning red because of the heat.

With a snap of her fingers, Aneko manifested a small bird made of blue aura, which circled the younger girl, chilling the air around her. “It’ll last for maybe five minutes.”

“Hey there, kiddo. I’m Munakata Mika, Anna-chan’s and Ko-chan’s mom. I think you already know Reishi,” Mika knelt down, so she was on Kushina’s eye level, smiling, “I think I’ll call you A-chan!”

“Okay,” Kushina, now A-chan replied, and Mika squealed.

“Wah, you’re so cute! Hey, hey, Anna-chan, she really is you! We got some old dresses Anna used to wear; you can wear them if you want!”

“Mom, you’re being weird. I’ll head back to Tsubaki-mon to fill out a report, okay?” the young King started walking away, making a motion with her hand to pack up. “Nobody’s hurt too badly, right?”

“I’m just a little cut up,” Aoki Nikita reported, waving the concern off. He looked a little worse for wear, nursing a wrist tenderly.

“I’m fine!” the rest of her Squad answered. Each of them was escorting a member of the alternate SCEPTER 4, barring Yuuma and Saruhiko. Maeda Katsumi was chatting with Hidaka Akira, Sato Nori with Awashima Seri. Rumiko Yurei was with Fuse Daiki, Takasu Emi and Etsuko Aihiko paired with Kamo Ryūhō and Dōmyōji Andi. Other Blue clansmen milled around, talking to some HOMRA members.

“Captaaaaaaiiiinnnnn! Save me!” was a squeak, and before Aneko knew it, Yuuma had skated towards her, hopping off and hiding behind the older woman.

“I swear Fushimi-san’s gonna kill me! And Dad squared aren’t helping! You’re the only one I got!” the man yelled, drawing everybody’s attention (if they already didn’t notice that is).

“Did you say something stupid, dummy? We have to go back to Headquarters to file this incident,” the Captain sighed, “And aren’t you part of Interrogation!? Why do I have to fight your battles?!”

“You’re much scarier than me Ko-chan! Even dad knows that!”

“If you don’t let go of me, I’m going to introduce your Squad to Team Bonding Time with my father and I and believe me you don’t want that. For Kami’s sake!” Aneko gave another exaggerated sigh, “No. Mercy.”

“Wah, you’re so meeeeannn,” Yuuma whined, “You’d be better at this, you were father’s apprentice!” He still didn’t move, his hands bunched in some of the folds of his superior’s coat.

“Yuuma, I’ll freeze you so cold you’ll _burn_,” the woman hissed, and evidently, Aneko was tired from both the battle and how ridiculous the man was being. Blue aura shimmered around her, glinting in the sunny day as ice crystals started forming.

Her Clansmen just sighed, aware of the show the two were putting on. This was a common occasion, performed to level out Aneko’s Weismann Levels. With how <jungle> was pushing, her patience was fraying, and Yuuma was able to stabilize her emotionally. If Anna gave up her position as King, it was obvious Yuuma would be next in line, with how he balanced his childhood friend.

“So meeean. I’m getting frostbite!” Yuuma finally let go of the older woman, getting back on his skateboard, his red aura kicking in, “Maybe Rei-oji can help me.” He left as abruptly as he came, already tagging along with the older Munakatas. His cheery yet terrified air disappeared as he went, before frowning.

“Does this always happen?” her dad’s counterpart walked over, looking a bit bemused with who was apparently Fushimi’s and Yata’s son.

“Captain has to get out of her fighting mindset,” a nearby Clansman said, who spoke before the woman in question could answer. It was Higashi Kuma, Aneko’s childhood friend, a man in SCEPTER 4 garb with a saber at his side, “Once she gets started, there’s not a lot of people who can stop her. A couple years ago, she actually broke a <jungle> Clansman’s jaw because he kept resisting after being captured. She only listens to her parents, Yuu-kun, Anna, and I. That’s only because I knew her from grade school.”

“Gossiping, Higashi?” Aneko asked frostily. Her coat still had ice flaked on it, but the heat was making it disappear.

“A little, Captain. I wish Yuuma didn’t have to get everyone’s attention, that display was embarrassing,” Kuma shrugged. “So, this is your dad when he was younger. He’s exactly like I imagined.”

“Can it. We need to submit a report. Munakata-san, my Clan is taking yours to headquarters, and we need to talk. Go eat, do something, and visit my office with your squad in a few hours. Higashi, let’s go,” the woman ordered, and they started walking towards their waiting van, Kuma giving a little smile before going in.


	2. Klan meeting and MunaKata Family Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are made, and certain people get to know Munakata Mika and Reishi a little better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, longer time no see. I've been too busy with college for the last semester and I'm graduating, hooray!

** Two Hours later **

Aneko sighed behind her desk, submitting her official report of the battle and reading her Clansmen’s reports, when a knock was at her door. “Come in.”

Anna had rejoined her younger sister, leaving little A-chan at the <strike>mercy</strike> care of Mika at bar HOMRA, where the older Red Clansmen doted on her. The woman was helping herself to Aneko’s tea, nursing a cup while sitting with her legs folded on the tatami mat on the other side of the room. The Captain’s office hadn’t changed much through the years, other than different colored upholstery, which was paler in contrast to richer tones of brown.

Yashiro Isana was also present, called into Tsubaki-mon under Aneko’s request. The First and Silver King was sitting on an armchair that sat next to bookshelves. The immortal still favored physical books to a pdf on a PDA, and he was thumbing through the pages of a large book.

The door opened, and Munakata and his squad filed into the room. Aneko deactivated her screen, standing up and meeting the younger man’s eyes. Anna wordlessly got up, sipping the rest of her tea.

“Welcome. If my Clansmen haven’t told you all who I am, I am Munakata Aneko, Captain of SCEPTER 4, to my right is Kushina Anna, the Red King of HOMRA. To my left is the First and Silver King, Adolf K. Weissman, better known as Isana Yashiro,” Aneko introduced the two formally, Shiro bowing at her side.

“Three Kings? An unusual sight,” Munakata asked, ‘_Outside of conferring with the Gold King’ _going unsaid, understanding that the Kings before him weren’t for a social call.

“Yes. Currently, we are the participants of what Isana-san calls the ‘Tea Table Alliance’,” the way Aneko said the name of the alliance was drier than a desert, “The Alliance was formed after the Green Clan <jungle> set their sights on getting hold of the Dresden Slate. It started three years ago, after the Gold King died, rendering the Usagi of the Timeless Palace incapable of keeping the Dresden Slate completely protected. SCEPTER 4 was given control of the Slate two years ago.”

“The Green Clan has a lot of power these days,” Shiro shared, “Many of their lower ranked members are still considered civilians, and with the ubiquity of electronics, their presence is easily hidden through high level encryption. We’re trying to minimize casualties at all costs and putting the Slate in SCEPTER 4’s hands was the best option we had.”

“I haven’t asked you here just to update you on the battle you all interrupted. This situation creates a wildcard we can’t have. Two of the Kings are out of commission, and with your presence, the Blue King and the Red King of another world and time brings the number of Kings up to seven.” Aneko’s voice was forcefully calm, any anxieties hidden from her face.

“We need to find out how you all came here, and how you can get back to your own world,” Anna piped up, speaking for the first time, “Every moment you spend here leaves your world defenseless.”

“As much as any of us would like to reminisce, we can’t. I want to promise you that we can get you back, but it isn’t an option readily available. Either we find a Strain to put you back in your world, or…” Aneko paused, another option coming to mind, “Or we can destroy the Dresden Slate, therefore stopping this war as well as weaken the link keeping you here.”

“If you do, the Era of Kings will be over,” Munakata frowned, as if he couldn’t fathom going back to a world without aura. Without a larger purpose.

“Destroying the Slate? That’s crazy,” Fushimi responded immediately, disbelief clear on his face.

“You want to go home, don’t you? If your world’s <jungle> is anything like ours, they’d pounce on HOMRA and SCEPTER 4’s absence. There isn’t much of a choice. Order must be maintained and having two dozen displaced people creates chaos. We’ll get you back no matter the cost. Right, Isana-san?” asked Aneko silkily. She side eyed her ally, the older man sweating at her cold stare before he sighed, looking at the younger Munakata.

“As much as researching the Dresden Slate is my life’s work, I’m willing to have it destroyed. The fighting between Clans and Kings will have to end, eventually. Everything has its beginning, and everything has its time. Both Kushina-chan and Munakata-san have a point. Every moment you guys spend here the longer your <jungle> has to make their move. Even if the Slate is gone, the aura will live on. Right, Munakata-san?” Shiro looked back over to his fellow King, the woman sighing.

“What exactly are you implying?” the younger Munakata asked, confused by what the Silver King was talking about. He knew that this ‘Aneko’ was his alternate self’s daughter, and that he inexplicably married Suoh’s female counterpart. If someone told him this would happen, he would’ve written them off ridiculous. His clansmen are equally confused, many of them unaware of Aneko’s parentage.

“My parents are Munakata Reishi and Munakata Mika. As you know, the previous King of SCEPTER 4 and HOMRA’s founder,” Aneko said simply, shrugging, “My father was King for a little more than year when I was born. Add that to a Clansman mother…you get a child made for the Slate’s power.”

“There are three children known to be born to Clansmen; Munakata Aneko, Yata Yuuma, and Kusanagi Azuki. All of them showed an aptitude for wielding aura, but Yata-san is the sole child to inherit aura from his parents, Yata Misaki and Yata Saruhiko. However, since Munakata-san was born to an active King, her power surpasses the others,” Shiro explained, “We still don’t know how far the Slate changed their biology, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re not entirely human.”

“Kusanagi Azuki?” Awashima asked faintly, while her fellow Clansmen shouted, “Yata Saruhiko?!”

“Tch. It’s true. This version of me married that idiot, typical,” Fushimi muttered the last part, rolling his eyes.

“Azuki-kun is your and Izumo’s son. He’s over at bar HOMRA, helping tend to the bar,” shrugged Aneko, although she enjoyed the look on Awashima’s face.

“The fact remains, they will be the legacy of the Slate even if we do destroy it,” Shiro redirected the conversation, seriously considering their limited options, “As long as you protect your own world, I’ll be happy with that.”

A text pinged on both Aneko and Anna’s PDAs, the red eyed women glancing at each other.

“I suspect Mika wants to invite Reishi to dinner,” Anna offered as an explanation, “She works fast.”

“He’s the carbon copy of her husband, of course she’d want to. Right, I think that is enough information for today. Not a word leaves this room, understand? We don’t need <jungle> interfering with our plans.” Aneko said sharply, a frown emerging.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” nodded Munakata. He leveled a Look at his Clansmen, who gave affirmations.

“Good. You all can go,” the older woman dissolved the meeting, the alternate Clansmen trickling out, presumably to go to the dorms or get dinner from the organization’s cafeteria.

Munakata remained as Shiro bowed and took his leave quickly, the silver haired King closing the door lightly as he went.

“Come on, Munakata-san. My parents aren’t people to keep waiting,” the older Blue King reminded the other King, picking up her PDA from where she left it on her desk.

* * *

** Half an hour later **

Kuma drove the three Kings to the Munakata residence, the atmosphere in the car tense. Aneko wore a t-shirt and jean shorts after changing out of her uniform and leaving her saber at HQ, while Reishi took off his coat and carried it instead.

The older Blue King waved as Kuma drove off, and immediately went to unlock the front door.

Their destination was about halfway between bar HOMRA and Tsubaki-mon, mainly to cut any commute time short. For a few years, Kuma would drive by to pick both Aneko and Reishi up for work, before the older man got a motorcycle.

“We’re home!” Aneko called out, hearing banging noises towards the back of the house. The trio removed their shoes, Anna making a bee line for her room upstairs.

Aneko saw her mom first, and she could see an odd look on the older woman’s face.

“Oh hey, Ko-chan! Look who’s our guest!” Mika’s voice is strained, but there’s a glitter to her eyes Aneko hasn’t seen in years. The King made her way into the kitchen, then stopped in her tracks.

“Um, you’re Munakata Aneko, right?” Totsuka Tatara asked, nursing a cup of tea. He was smiling, always a good sign, but he also looked tense, almost nervous.

“T-Tatara,” the woman stuttered uncharacteristically, eyes wide. Childhood memories resurfaced of the man lifting her up to his shoulders on the way to the zoo. Of tagging along as a ‘photographer assistant’, taking pictures of butterflies and sakura trees.

Frantic texts in the night. A rooftop coated in blood.

“I hear you’re the Blue King. Mika-san told me all about you,” Totsuka continues, as the older woman’s brain reboots.

“Did she now?” is an almost strangled sentence that comes out of her mouth, and she can see that her mom looks a bit worried.

“I assure you; it was all good things. I’m sorry for your loss. Seeing me must really hurt you,” Totsuka apologized, frowning slightly.

“I’m okay, Totsuka-san, really. You were avenged, in the end. Just, be careful when you go home. Where’s A-chan?” the woman asked, looking around. Just where was her dad?

“She’s still at HOMRA, with Suoh,” Mika answered, before turning back to the stove, where she was making soup, “Yata’s there too, plus Saruhiko. I’m not sure if Yuu-chan is with them, but he’ll turn up.”

“You have a lovely home, Munakata-san,” Munakata came into the kitchen. He was looking around the first floor when the other Blue King opened the door, and he immediately noticed a line of framed puzzles going up the stairs. Each of the puzzles looked custom made, with either scenery or of the house’s occupants, namely the older Munakatas interacting with their daughter, or of clansmen of both HOMRA and SCEPTER 4.

“Oh, please, just call me Mika. Everyone does, even though Rei-chan took foreeeeeever to,” the woman rolled her eyes even though Munakata couldn’t see it, “There’s too many Munakatas under this roof. I was a Suoh first, anyway. Speaking of Reishi, he’s probably on his way back.” She turned off the stove, then turned to her guests. “You two, go relax in the living room. Dinner’s gonna be ready whenever Rei comes back. Ko-chan, will you please?”

“Gotcha,” Aneko passed Totsuka to get the table set, counting how many people were eating. The monotony of getting the room set helped wash the awkwardness she felt and started to relax.

Anna came down from her room, holding a box. She stared at Totsuka for a few moments, the man meeting her eyes. “Tatara,” she held out the box, offering it to him.

He took it, holding it like a sheet of glass, weighing it carefully in his hands. Then he picked at the twin stickers of tape holding the box closed, peeling them back.

Removing the lid, there was clearly a smaller box within, and moving it out revealed an image of an expensive camera printed on the side of the other box.

“A camera?” Totsuka asked as Anna sat by his side.

“Memory fades, but pictures last forever,” the King nodded towards the camera, “This camera…I was planning to give it to Tatara on his birthday, before…” Anna paused, biting her lip, “I want you to have it.”

“Anna, I can’t,” he tried to object, but Anna just shook her head.

“Tatara. Take the time you have, and make it count. Our Tatara…he loved Mika forever, and he never moved on. HOMRA and its people are your home, but there is more out there. Please, Tatara. Your future is murky, and you need your guard up.” Anna stared into Totsuka’s brown eyes, searching for something.

“Alright, Anna. Thank you,” a sad smile was on Totsuka’s face as he put the box back and put the lid back on.

“I was wondering why you kept that,” Aneko popped out of the kitchen, observing the box, “We left no blood, bone or ash, but you kept it. Did you know?”

“No. Simply, I kept it for his memory, but perhaps six years is too long to stay in the past. I still have Tatara in here,” Anna said simply, gesturing to her heart, and a single thread of red aura turned into a small, delicate butterfly, “Even when our Clans were fighting, we were having fun.” She let it flit around the room before it disappeared.

“Keep that safe, Totsuka-san. Anna spent two month’s salary on that,” Mika peeked out from behind her daughter, wiping her hands with a hand towel, “Anyways, Reishi’s going to be back in a few.”

“So, what’s it like with Suoh-san as King, hm? I can’t imagine being King. Of the Red Aura, at that,” Mika sat close to Munakata, but not on him, as she would if it was her Reishi.

“King tries to protect HOMRA as best he can,” Totsuka started, “But he’s constantly tired. He can’t sleep too well on most days, so he naps a lot. He’s…King. He doesn’t follow rules and doesn’t have a good relationship with SCEPTER 4.”

“Damn. I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t want to be the Red King. I’d never go near the Clans if we didn’t form HOMRA,” Mika shuddered, before perking up as she heard a loud engine outside, “That’s Rei! Come on, I’m hungry.” She stood up before almost running away for the kitchen.

“Uh, do you think mom’s okay?” Aneko asked Anna with a puzzled look on her face.

“Mika is fine, though perhaps Mikoto scares her.”

“Yikes. Lucky she was never King, huh. Or she woulda murdered Dad when the Slate picked me.”

“Your parents love each other too much for the Slate to tear them apart. I doubt she’d harm him terribly.”

“Are you two talking about Mika and me again?” Reishi had already unlocked the door, his helmet carried in one hand while his keys dangled in the other.

“Like we always do, Father. Munakata-san and Totsuka-san have been patiently waiting for your return,” Aneko said before getting up, “Smells great.”

“Get your butts in here guys!” Mika’s irate voice came from the kitchen, “Or I’ll eat everything! You know I will!”

“Coming,” Reishi called back, before setting his things down on the shoe closet, and joined the others, who already started trickling into the kitchen.

Dinner had gone fine, in Aneko’s opinion. Most of the food was eaten, and the occupants of the house sort of lazed about, sleepy from a full stomach. The atmosphere had grown lighter as the time passed, and the older four soon started talking about their everyday lives.

“Yuuma is one of the worst people at repeating words,” Aneko shared with an exaggerated sigh, “During his initiation he got tripped over his oath and we nearly had to reschedule because all of us were laughing too much.”

“I remember. We thought his aura would make him combust,” Reishi agreed, the memory making him smile, “He does do that occasionally.”

“He used to be a lot worse,” Aneko ‘whispered’ to Totsuka loudly, “When we were kids, we’d always have a few fire extinguishers on hand. Yuu-chan’s very good at making bonfires.” She snickered, a mischievous smile on her face. “He even set off smoke detectors to get out of school.”

“He sounds like quite the troublemaker,” Munakata noted, “How did he come to work for Scepter 4?” The man was holding a cup of green tea Reishi made, sipping in two-minute intervals.

“Well, since we were kids, he always wanted to be part of SCEPTER 4. He was always a loudmouth, and he used to boast that he would get in the moment he graduated high school. Yuu-chan can do anything he puts his mind to.”

“He used to be such a pain too. You two would always get into fights,” reminded Mika, moving with lightning speed and head locking her daughter to give Aneko a noogie.

“Mom!” she groused while trying to squirm away, to no avail from the iron grip, “Stooooppppp!”

“Nope, you have to suffer for all the times you’d nearly topple a building in one of your little spats. Come on, Ko-chan, live a little!” Mika smirks at her daughter, noogieing her even harder.

“Mika…” Reishi warned, smiling with a slight edge to his lips, “Unless you want a free indoor igloo, I suggest ceasing.”

Blue aura was starting to rise from Aneko’s skin, dropping the summer heat drastically. The older woman blanched, her arms loosening enough for the King to wiggle out.

With a displeased hum, Aneko shot her mother the stink eye, who shrugged in return. The cold started to recede after the red eyed woman restrained her power, aura disappearing.

“As much as I hate to interrupt,” Munakata chimed in, breaking the peaceful atmosphere, “Totsuka-san and I need to go back to our Clans.” He looked ready to bolt, as outside the window the sun was starting to set.

“Wow, it really got late,” Aneko looked at the clock, a pang of disappointment at the short notice, “You’re right. I wouldn’t want both your HOMRA and SCEPTER 4 wondering where you two are.”

Mika winced, also realizing that her lost Clansman…no, not hers, _Mikoto’s_ Tatara would have to go soon. The men in the room started to get up from their seated positions, the younger Reishi standing first. 

“Tatara. Keep yourself safe,” Mika stood up, a certain solemnness settling in her amber eyes. The younger man was surprised when Mika went over to hug him, his eyes widening slightly. After a moment, his arms reached up, hugging the woman back. 

“Don’t assume everyone you meet won’t hurt you,” she whispered into his ear, “If you die, I don’t know how your Mikoto will handle it.” Mika drew back, her solemnness shifting into regret.

“Well, you both should be off,” Aneko intruded, to avoid her mom from going into a melancholy state, “We should have you guys back to your world soon enough.”

The older Munakatas were quick to have Munakata and Totsuka leave, almost rushing to get the two men out. Reishi had called a cab immediately As if their presence alone would just bring back years of memory, of simpler times.

Aneko sighed loudly once the younger men left, her shoulders slumping. She leaned against the wall of the foyer, feeling more drained than she had in years.

“Today has been _weird_,” Mika decided to pop up, “Heh, even in our days we haven’t had days like this.” She slung an arm around her daughter’s shoulders, a slight smile on her face.

“If I recall, you specifically made the days ‘weird’.” Reishi remarked, chuckling slightly as he started to retreat upstairs, “Ko-chan, make sure you get some rest. Although the thought of the Slate’s destruction is bleak, this war needs to end. For the betterment of our people.”

“Yeah. For our cause is just,” the King muttered, “Maybe after the war’s over I can sleep for days.” Yawning, she passed her dad on the stairs, already planning to shower and go to bed. Whatever. Anna had already gone up once Tatara left, her interest diminished.

Aneko stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. She thought about the hope she saw in her dad’s eyes, when he said the war would be over soon. There would be little doubt <jungle> wouldn’t get a whiff of what they were planning to do.

If anything, the only thing that could destroy the Slate would be the Swords themselves. And Hisui Nagare would die, either with a sword through his chest or the power of the Slate fading.

Aneko never killed a person before. Never made the decision to irreparably damage someone. Cuts and bruises faded. Death never did.

The King went to bed with troubled thoughts, wondering if she was ready to shoulder the consequences.

**Author's Note:**

> Please kudos, comment or subscribe if you like it.  
Sarielgrace out!


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